The present invention is an air conditioner drain line device that automatically engages a flapper that prevents the reverse flow of condensate water from entering a dwelling unit that shares a common drain line with multiple units, while at the same time allowing for quick and easy flushing of blockages in the drain line without causing water damage to the interior of the dwelling unit.
The inventor has been an air conditioning service technician for nine (9) years and has witnessed the flooding of dwelling units caused by blockages in the condensate drain line of multi-unit complexes that share a common drain line. The bottom unit of a multi-unit complex sharing a community drain line is particularly vulnerable to water damage caused from the reverse flow of condensate water when the trap at the bottom of the community drain line becomes blocked. After witnessing several units damaged by the back flow of water into the units because of a blockage in the community drain line and after hearing the frustrated cries of unit owners exclaim “there must be something that can be done about this” the inventor conceived the present invention.
Under normal conditions, a well maintained air conditioning unit produces a steady trickle of condensate water from the cooling coils of the unit. This flow is commonly referred to in the industry as the “two year old trickle” as the flow is similar to that which one can expect from a two year old urinating. Under normal conditions the trickle drains from the air conditioning unit, through the condensate drain line and exits the dwelling unit.
The condensate water often collects dust or other airborne debris that passes through the air conditioning unit and this combined with the microbial and bacterial growths that thrive in moist pipes often result in blockages in the drain lines. When the drain lines are blocked, water cannot drain properly and the only place the fluid produced from the air conditioning units can go is either up the community drain line or back into the dwelling unit. In order to remove the blockage in the drain line, the dwelling owner is required to call a service technician who must dismantle a portion of the air conditioning unit in order to remove the blockage.
In order to address this problem the inventor invented the present invention. The present invention comprises essentially a tubular pipe assembly with a plurality of openings forming an opening to let water in, an opening to let water out, an opening that can be used as a service port and a flapper assembly positioned between two of the openings thereby creating a valve that will only allow water to flow in one direction.
After the present invention is installed, a blockage in the community drain line would not result in damage to the unit which has the invention. Specifically, in the event that the trap in the community drain line was to clog and water was to back up the drain line, the flapper would engage and form a seal that would prevent any water from entering the dwelling unit. Moreover, if all the units who share a community drain line install the present invention, a blockage in drain line would cause water to back up and rise up the community drain line several stories high so that eventually the pressure of the water backed up in the community drain line would disengage the blockage with out having to call a service technician.
The service port in the present invention allows for easy access to a unidirectional pressure valve that can receive a pressurized gas or liquid that can be used to dislodge a blockage in the drain line. By positioning the service port in between the flapper assembly and the first opening of the tubular pipe assembly, when a pressurized gas or liquid is released through the service port, the flapper would engage and force the pressurized gas or liquid out the first opening of the tubular pipe assembly, down the community drain line and dislodge the blockage of the drain line.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a device that will prevent the backflow of condensate water into a dwelling unit and the associated property damage that would occur in the event of a blockage in the condensate drain line.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a device that can automatically engage a self flushing mechanism in the event condensate water backs up several stories up a community drain line of a multi-unit complex where multiple units share a community drain line.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a device with an easy to access service port.
Yet a further objective of the present invention is to provide a device that would allow a service technician to disengage a blockage in the community drain line without having to cut any drainage pipes.
Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,584,995 (hereinafter the “995 patent”) and 6,708,717 (hereinafter the “717 patent”. However, each one of these reference suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages. The 995 patent is only meant to prevent the back flow of air and therefore the flapper device would not prevent the back flow of condensate water. Specifically, the 995 patent does not include a flapper stopper and therefore the flapper may become stuck in the open position thereby failing to close and block the back flow of condensate water. The 995 patent also includes a protrusion connected to the interior surface of its tubular member that would prevent the trickle of the condensate water from exiting the drain line. The 717 patent does not disclose a valve assembly that can be automatically engaged upon the reverse flow of condensate water thereby requiring the manually engagement of the valve which defeats the preventative features of the present invention.
For the foregoing reasons there exists a need for an air conditioning drain device that automatically engages a flapper that prevents the reverse flow of condensate water from entering a dwelling unit that shares a common drain line with multiple units, while at the same time allowing for quick and easy flushing of blockages in the drain line without causing water damage to the interior of the dwelling unit.